


It's in his kiss

by ZeldaElmo



Category: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (Video Game), The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: F/M, Valentine's Day, zelink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 16:20:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29174058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZeldaElmo/pseuds/ZeldaElmo
Summary: Valentine's Day traditions of Hyrule's castleor:Zelda makes an airtight plan to get rid of her appointed knight.Big thanks @Zeldas_Eyebrows for editing this for me!
Relationships: Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 137





	It's in his kiss

Zelda stared at the notebook in front of her and tapped her pen against her lips, her face torn into a frown. Turning the next page and the page after that, her frown deepened into a grimace. She was running out of pages.

And that meant she was running out of options.

Proud, elegant letters emblazoned the first page of her notebook – she preferred to keep her research notes or other important, private papers like her diary in the Sheikah Alphabet. It reduced the circle of people who were able to read it. She had begun to establish this routine when her father had called her out about an essay over Divine Beast Vah Medoh she had written for Purah instead of researching about her powers, and it had served her well enough since then.

She did not wonder if the Hero was able to read it. He probably could, because was there anything out there in the big, wide world that he didn’t accomplish? Well, he better stay at his post on the bridge between her study and her room, guarding her against whatever threat he seemed to sense around every corner. It wasn’t that she disliked guards in general – she was the Princess of Hyrule after all. Guards were part of her daily routine and it had never bothered her much. Perhaps because the other soldiers never saw the need to guard her like they were glued to her side and were satisfied to keep her tower in sighting distance. That wouldn’t do for the Hero, of course. No, he needed to be everywhere where she was. Not that he had explained himself and his odd behavior, no. She had to fathom that out on her own because Sir Knight was too superior to talk to her. Not a word had left his lips directed towards her. Not a single word.

With a loud groan, she flipped through the pages, only to regret her outbreak immediately as said Hero popped his head through the door to check on her.

“I’m fine. Take your place again. Or better not.” She gestured around her study. “It’s perfectly safe here. Just guardian parts and other rattles. No threat. Go home, Hero.”

He glanced around her study, his gaze lingering for a moment on the drawing of a silent princess. She had pinned the delicate token of her Valentine on a prominent place over her desk, so that she could see the evidence that at least _someone_ cared about her when she needed a reminder. With a little jerk of his head, he nodded as if to agree to her words, but she wasn’t fooled. Never would he abandon his post simply because she ordered him to. That had been one of the first entries in the little book in front of her. Yes, she had written an entire notebook with the title “How to get rid of HIM”. Had one of her ideas worked out? No. He was still there, determined to fulfill his cursed duty as he had been since day one.

The evolution of her ideas from naïve over resolute to desperate was embarrassingly apparent, but what could she do? At first, when he ignored her orders, she had told him to keep his distance at least, so she didn’t have to deal with his stares the whole time. He had turned his back to her whenever they were somewhere safe, she had to give him that. The problem was only that then the holy blade loomed in front of her instead and honestly, that constant reminder of her inadequacy was even worse than his admittedly handsome face. Not that she had thought about him in that way, no! It was just difficult to overhear her handmaidens and ladies-in-waiting swooning over him, that was all. Really.

When ordering him away hadn’t worked out, she tried something else. Unfortunately, giving him the slip hadn't been as successful as she would have liked. He was good. The farthest she got was the one time she had sneaked out in her old Sheikah Armor rushing all the way over Hyrule field to the Royal Labs. Needlessly to say that he had caught up to her in the end, meeting her outburst with a confused face.

So she had settled for more drastic methods. She had tiptoed off again, and when she had heard him nearing, she marched right into the territory of a Lynel so he could perform his glorious performance and kill the beast. After that, she had reported to her father, retelling the event in blooming (and admittedly true) words, hoping that he would be kicked upstairs. Unfortunately, her father had promoted him for his unwavering courage with the title of a Captain, but that didn’t mean he offered the knight a new job. Furthermore, putting herself in danger hadn't done much to underline her point that she was perfectly capable of holding herself, she had registered a little belatedly.

Anyway, there was only one entry left, two small words in the elegant appearances of the Sheikah alphabet. When she had written them in the first days of his appointment, it had been more of a joke than a realistic option. And now …

The words stared back at her. Just like these unnerving blue eyes.

_Kiss him._

She… she had to think about this. The point of kissing him in public was that she expected her father to separate them. Tolerating affection between her appointed knight and her was not something he would think twice about, especially with how attached to the gossip at court he was. But as much as she loathed the Hero's constant presence, Zelda wasn’t cruel. She had to make sure that he would not be punished for her actions. He had been nothing but loyal; she owed him that much.

But how? Tomorrow was Valentine’s Day, could she use that for a plan? She pressed her fingers to her temples, extremely aware to stay noiseless so that she wouldn't alert him again.

Just when she decided to call for refreshment, the polite knocking pattern of her handmaids sounded from the door.

“Yes?”

The girl stepped in, a dinner tray loaded with a teacup, a little teapot, and an even smaller pot of honey in her arms.

“Princess Zelda. Si-” she stopped herself. “S-somehow I had the feeling you were in the need of a break.”

Zelda frowned at her. “You were right. I was about to call you.” She took the tray from her maid and shook her head. “That’s the third time this week that one of you shows up just in time. Either you are all gifted with second sight or...”

Or someone gave them hints.

It was not the only thing that was a little odd in the last few months.

Everything had begun with the flowers in her room. Her maids had always prepared her a vase with swift violets. A relic from a childhood phase when she was crazy about everything in the color purple. One day, or one evening more specifically, she was greeted by the soft glow of a bouquet of blue nightshades, her second favorite flowers after the endangered silent princesses. Then, after she had trouble sleeping for the third night in a row, her head handmaid suggested lighting incense in her bed-chamber. When she inquired further, the woman hinted that someone had given her everything that would be needed in advance. The oddest incident happened three weeks ago. In the morning, She had promised Purah that she would look over some adjustments on the Sheikah Slate, but her day had been packed with praying, council meetings, and audiences. When she had come back to her study late in the evening, dead on her feet, a maid with a perfect slice of fruitcake on her tray had awaited her in her study. She refused to tell who had sent her. Refreshed, Zelda had finished her work way earlier than she had feared, but the incident had made her think. Her maids had always been kind and polite, but never so assertive as in the last few weeks.

Speaking of maids... the one currently standing in her study cleared her throat.

“I have something else, Princess.” She pulled a small package from one of the pockets of her apron. “It’s a gift from… your Valentine.”

Zelda was immediately on her feet, unable to keep the excitement out of her voice.

“Oh, did he give it to you in person?”

The maid blushed and fiddled with the ribbons of her apron, looking nervously in the direction of the door.

“Sir... Sir Link gave it to me to deliver it to you.”

Oh, of course. Her nosy knight needed to check her personal, private gifts from her Valentine. What did he expect, someone delivering her a _bomb_?

The maid's gaze flickered towards the door anew. “A-are you going to kiss him tomorrow when he gives you the last gift, Princess? It is Valentine’s Day tomorrow.”

“I’m considering it”, she smiled at the younger girl who opened and closed her mouth like a fish in response. “I have to admit that he has quite the way to enchant me. Never have I received so many thoughtful gifts.”

“O-oh, of course. He… he is quite the catch, for sure. I am at your service in case you need something, Princess Zelda.” She curtsied and hurried over the bridge again and Zelda couldn’t help but wonder if she knew more than she was willing to admit.

Unlike her handmaids and her ladies-in-waiting, she had always thought the Valentine's traditions of Hyrule’s castle were a bit silly, even after Impa (of all people!) insisted that they were cute.

That was of course before she had a Valentine herself.

The rules were simple. On the first of February, everybody who wanted to partake in the traditions left a little gift for their Valentine. In secret. It continued like that for the next two weeks and the bold ones would give the last gift in person on Valentine’s Day to reveal their identity. And to receive a kiss in return for their efforts.

A glance to the door reassured Zelda that her stubborn knight was still at his post. She didn’t need him to witness how she would gush over the newest token of her secret admirer. Carefully, she loosened the rigid ribbon and unwrapped the parcel. A soft orange glow shimmered through the layers of fabric, and she hurried to get rid of them, revealing an ancient core. She sank on her chair, enclosed the core in her hands, and wondered if it was possible to fall in love by receiving gifts alone. If she was lucky, she would find out tomorrow.

Unlocking the little drawer at her desk, she marveled over the items she had received in the last few days. Next to some carefully wrapped heart-shaped honey-wildberry candies laid a carving of a blue nightshade and a diligently polished ancient spring glanced in the late afternoon sun. On the fifth day, she had found a simple poem about the beauty of nature and the wild in her study papers. Not all tokens were pieces of art – yesterday it had been a wooden vial tray for her elixirs.

When she had discovered the little drawing of the silent princess on her teapoy that first day, her thoughts had flashed immediately to the court poet. Neither his crush on her nor her admiration for the flower was a well-kept secret, so it was obvious to assume that he was the noble donor. She reconsidered this guess the next day when she found a large jar of rugged rhino beetles in her study. The court poet never missed a chance to compliment her for her beauty, laying a delicately manicured hand on her shoulder, but he never wasted a word beyond that. Her character, her interests, or her passions, nothing of that found a way in his songs and poems. No way that this man had organized _bugs_ for her science, let alone caught them himself! No, it must be someone else.

What impressed her most was that not a single gift was connected with the holy power she so desperately tried to awaken. The power that was inescapably tied to her name, to her existence even. Every single soul in the castle knew that she was devoted to the goddess like no one else. She spent hour after hour praying; it dominated her life. But the little necklace she had found last week wasn’t decorated with a pendant of a triforce or a replica of Hylia, like the jewelry she received from the nobles to her birthdays. No. The charm was an imitation of a giant ancient core, a small amber in the middle encircled by two golden rings. Whoever her Valentine was – he understood. He saw.

And she had no clue who it could be.

What would he give her tomorrow? The gifts were all magnificent; how could he possibly top that? Dreamily, she rolled the warm core from one hand to the other. Her heart fluttered when she thought about tomorrow.

And wasn’t that ironic? Two kisses – one to get rid of the Hero and one to fall in love with her Valentine.

The next day, Zelda cowered between the shelves of the library, pulling this book out and that without bothering to look at the titles. She peeked at the door of her father’s study every few seconds, knowing that he must be in there since the bookshelf that hid the secret door was moved to the side.

That morning, she had carefully put the necklace on, the little amber dangling over the fabric of her blouse, matching well enough with the golden trims. It gave her a confidence boost, and she wanted her Valentine to see that she valued his gifts. Zelda hadn’t heard or seen anything from him, and she prayed that he wouldn’t approach her just at the moment she would act out her plan. She needed to be swift, or she would have a lot of things to explain.

Her knight pushed a book cart he had organized from somewhere in her direction with a nod and the polite gesture let her nearly have second thoughts. If Hylia had offered her gifts equally to them – as it seemed to be the case with every other Princess and Hero before them – maybe things would be different. He wouldn’t have to despise her, and she wouldn’t feel like a failure next to him. But it was how it was and today would be the last day she had to endure his stares. His politeness towards her only barely covered his resentment, or why else wouldn’t he talk to her?

With a huff, she let herself fall on one of the settees next to the shelves. Immediately, the Hero’s eyes flashed to her.

“I’m fine!”, she groaned and threw her head to her nape in annoyance. “This is a library. No Lynels and Yiga around.” Frankly speaking, nobody else was here this afternoon, and she felt the tingling of the golden opportunity just around the corner under her skin.

He nodded, but she didn’t miss that his gaze lingered on the piece of jewelry her gesture had exposed. His face shifted, but he didn’t say anything. Of course, he never said anything. Would he get a word out when she ambushed him with a kiss? She nearly giggled, but the nervous flutter in her stomach hindered her. How would it be to kiss him?

Luckily, it wasn’t her first kiss. She wasn’t overly dramatic when it came to things like this, but wasting her first kiss for a get-rid-of-her-appointed-knight-plan would have been a pity. No, she received her first kiss last year on an excavation from a son of a Sheikah researcher. The clumsy, wet affair that kiss had been had led to an afternoon full of giddy laughter and instructions (in theory! Not with each other!) with Impa, but that was another story worth telling.

The door to the study muffled every sound, but Zelda had been in the library often enough to know that the screeching noise meant that a meeting had ended and her father would come out for a break. Normally, she took this as a sign to disappear behind a shelf or even to flee to the gallery, but not today. No, today she was quick on her feet and stepped closer to her appointed knight. He took a step back, but was soon trapped between her and a shelf.

It was a nasty affair to keep the evil smirk from her face, and she wasn’t entirely sure if she managed to the whole time. She needed her concentration to watch for the perfect moment and couldn’t effort to think about how she looked like a predator about to strike.

The moment she heard the click of the door and someone stepped out, she dashed forward and grabbed a fist full of his tunic. The look on his face was priceless. She prayed that he wouldn't pull back immediately when she pressed her lips to his, just a little shock would be enough.

How ironic that Hylia decided to give in to her pleas _now_ of all times. He didn’t pull back. On the contrary. Slowly, he began to move his lips against hers, parting them with just this little amount of pressure, and it took him only seconds to be in the lead. Now, that wouldn't do, this was her plan!

She sneaked her arms around his neck to show him that _she_ was the one who was controlling this. His fingers suddenly pressed in her waist, pulled her nearer, and one hand even roamed up between her shoulder blades to make sure she would stay close enough. _How dare he!_

And how dare he to have such soft, warm and inviting lips?! He was a fierce warrior, a Lynel-slasher, beacon of the Hyrulean Army, the Hero of Hyrule! He was supposed to be hard, cold and, ehm… filthy! In any case, he was not allowed to be sweet and gentle! And with her on top of that all!

She was about to break the kiss, trying to bring some inches between them, because this should be enough now to convince everybody that there was something going on between them. His fingers dug into the space between her shoulder blades, and he chased after her lips without letting them separate.

Well, for her plan to work out it was the longer the better, wasn’t it? _Ridiculous_ that he believed she would let him win. She teased his bottom lip with her tongue, and he was quick to respond. His breath brushed her skin, mingled with hers while his tongue did the same.

Hylia above, this kiss was _anything_ but clumsy. It was hot and soft and perfect at the same time, sending sparks through her body that let her forget what brought them to this position in the first place.

Just when she was about to hum her pleasure in his mouth, he gasped and withdrew. She had a split second to wonder what had happened before something solid hit her head.

“Ouch!”

She untangled herself from his neck to rub her temple, vaguely seeing Link doing something similar.

“Are you crazy, you two?” Impa's sharp voice cut through her hazed mind and Zelda observed dizzily how she sheathed her Kodachi. She must have knocked some sense into them with the hilt.

“What do you think you are doing?”, she hissed. “Making out directly in front of the King's study. As if you were asking for trouble!” She grabbed both their arms and pulled them out of the library. Zelda was too slow to proceed where her plan had gone wrong or even what had been her plan to begin with, and stumbled after Impa's guiding steps. The tingling on her lips offered the idea that maybe, just maybe her plan hadn't gone wrong _at_ _all_ , but she didn’t want to hear anything of that nonsense. It was enough to keep up with Impa's mixture of, “What was that?” and, “I knew it. I knew it!”

Before she could blink, Impa ushered them into Zelda's room, still rapidly shaking her head, finishing her reprimand with a raised index finger, “I won't tell on you, but you have to be more careful, for Hylia's sake!” Then, she pointed directly at her, hissing, “And don't believe I'm done with you, Princess. We'll talk about this!”

The door fell shut after her and suddenly she was alone with Link. Oh, dear, what had she herself gotten into now? She turned towards him, willing the blush in her cheeks away. It didn’t work well; the heat prickled still on her skin.

“Princess? I…” he trailed off, probably caused by the look on her face that suggested she had seen the Lord of the Mountain themselves.

She blinked her eyes in place. “You… you speak!”

“I can stop.”

“No.”

It was just… his voice was nice. Low and bright at the same time, a little hoarse. Just so, that she imagined how it would sound when he rasped her name in her ear after gifting her with another of those mind-blowing kisses.

 _What?_ No!

“Why… didn’t you talk before?” she got out. Where was this brain when she needed it? She had nearly closed the gap between them again just to find out if she could coax him into doing exactly what she had imagined seconds before.

“I assumed you would prefer me to be silent since you didn’t enjoy my presence.”

She scoffed and let her gaze travel over the shelves full of books behind him to look everywhere but at him. _Fair enough._

“But…?!”

He frowned a little at that, and hadn’t she just kissed him minutes ago, she would have cheered to coax a reaction from him. Now she already knew that his face wasn’t made of stone like she had suspected for months. His skin was warm, his lips were soft, strictly speaking.

“You just kissed me.”

Oh, well. Maybe her plan didn’t contain speaking with him in her chambers. Alone. After kissing him.

“Bold of you to assume that would change anything between us.”

He eyed her hard, his lips slightly parted.

“Let me cling to that idea a little longer, Princess. The alternative would be that you wouldn't hesitate to send me to the dungeons until the Calamity strikes.”

She swallowed. “I would have convinced my father that you were not to be punished.”

He turned his eyes to the ceiling of her room in a silent prayer.

“And there it goes…” He exhaled purposefully and closed his eyes for a moment.

“Anyway, I'll return to my post now. When you plan your next coup, don’t forget that I'm armed to the teeth. If your maid hadn't warned me, I would have easily thought you were a Yiga in disguise.” A lopsided smile entered his features. “And if I had to choose, I'dprefer going to the dungeons for kissing you senseless rather than for killing you.”

“You do?”

“For someone so smart, you can be fairly clueless, Your Highness.” He turned, but paused in the doorway. “The necklace. Suits you.” His hand fumbled with something in his pocket. “And since I'm anything but a coward: the last.” He tossed a small object at her. Perfect aim, of course. The door clicked, and he was gone, leaving her with a little leather pouch in her hands and an open mouth.

Her knight was her Valentine.

It made perfect sense. He had never left her side voluntarily in the last months and Hylia knew she babbled enough about all the things she was passionate about to fill the silence between them. Picking some gifts was no trouble for him as long as he listened. He was probably responsible for the mystery with her maids, too. He was extremely attentive, she had to say this much for him. But had he sent for a tea for her at the slightest sign of discomfort? And what about the fruitcake and the incense?

It didn’t make sense at all.

Unless…

Unless … she raised her fingers to her lips, coaxing the tingling to reappear for a moment.

After a minute or two, she shook her head upon herself and blinked. That was too stupid.

A sweet smell reminded her of the little pouch that she still clutched like a lifeline. Slowly, she uncurled her fingers. The little leather bag was closed with a strap from the same material, both tanned in a dark blue. Inside was a pile of little black somethings, giving off a faint rustling when she moved her fingers. She didn't have to look twice to know what it was; she had seen them a hundred times and more in her books.

Silent Princess Seeds. Dozens of them.

In old times, before it was forbidden to pick the endangered species, gifting a Silent Princess for Valentine’s Day had been one of the noblest gestures. As its name suggested, it didn’t symbolize impulsive affection like a rose, but it was a silent, subtle sign of caring about someone.

Did he know that?

“He-“ she stopped herself and coughed. “Sir Link?”

Immediately, her door opened again, and she felt his gaze traveling over her face. Worried, she realized. Every time he had checked on her in the last months, he had been _worried_. And she, stupid little thing, had thought he overlooked her progress in unlocking her powers.

“I’m fine.” She smiled, trying to stop her heartbeat from kicking up. “Come in, please.”

She held her palm with the pouch up and stepped up to him again, placing one foot between his. At her sudden nearness, his eyes went wide, and he obviously fought the urge to lean further back than the three inches he allowed himself.

“I–” She grinned at him, catching the pouch and holding it between thumb and index finger in a swift motion, “I believe the Valentine’s Day traditions speak of a reward for the ones who are courageous enough to give the last gift in person. Am I wrong, Sir Link?”

He blushed all the way up to the tips of his ears and gulped. It was so adorable to see so many emotions on him that she nearly abandoned her new plan to make a beeline for her sketchbook.

A look over his shoulder reassured her that the door behind him was firmly shut, and she grabbed his Champion’s tunic with her fists, tugging him nearer. His lips parted in surprise, but he didn’t pull back.

“Then I propose that we use the time until you go to the dungeons as best as we can.”

His fingers came up to her face, graced her cheekbone, went down to her jawline. His touch was not nearly as soft as his lips, but it was pleasant, dare she say loving, nevertheless. Once more, he raised his eyes to the sky, but this time, he spoke his prayer aloud.

“Oh, Hylia”, he murmured, “Oh, Hylia, I’m in trouble.”

And with that, he pressed his lips on hers again.


End file.
